Mine-car wheel



F. W. HENRIKSON MINE CAR WHEEL Filed April 11, 1922 Patented May 8, 1923.

MINE-CAR WHEEL.

Application filed April 11, 1922. Serial No. 551,484.

To all whomit may concern-.-

Be it known that I, FRANK Vi. :HENRIK- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mulberry, in the county of Crawford, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine iVheels, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to mine car wheels.

One of the objects of this invention to provide an economical and simple means for assuring the proper lubrication of the inner bearing of the hub member of such a wheel.

further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for detachably hold ing in place the hub cap of the mine wheel, which hub cap is constructed and arranged to provide or the efficient lubrication oi the inner bearing of the hub when the hub cap is in assembled position.

A still further object of this invention resides in the means for detachably connecting this end cap of the hub so that the same can be quickly and easily removed, but will be securely held in position on the hub.

These and other objects will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the mine car wheel showing the cap in position;

Fig.2 is a broken side view showing the cap removed, 7

Fig. 3 is asection on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 1 is a detail view of a portion of the hub cap showing the taper of the inner and outer lugs.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the mine car wheel cornprises the usual hub portion 1 provided wlth a central bore 2 to receive the axle 3 which has the usual hole transversely therethrough to receive the usual fastening cotter pm. This hub is joined to the rim 1 by means of spaced spokes 5. For the purpose of lubrieating the inner bore 2 of the hub, the same is provided with the necessary oil channels. Preferably these channels extend from the outer wall 6 of the hub inwardly substantially parallel with the bore 2 in the hub and thence communicate as at 7 with thisinner bore. Any desired number of these channels may be used. In the drawing, three such are illustrated.

The mine car wheel is provided with an end cap 8 which is adapted to not only protect the outer end of the car wheel axle and hearing from injury, but also to prevent plane of the oil channel 6. As shown clearly.

in Fig. 8, this slot 9 extends parallel with the axis of the bore 2, and thus each spoke 5 is provided with an overhanging shoulder 10, and each one of these overhanging shoulders 10 is again provided with a wedgeshaped slot'll, the plane of which extends transversely to the plane of the slot 9, thereby providing an undercut shoulder adapted to receive the lug on the circumference of the end cap 8 hereinafter described. By forming this circumferential slot 9 as described, there remains a. central portion 12 of the hub, and this central portion is provided with rcircumferentially spaced cutouts 18 which form intermediate radially extending lugs 14. These lugs 14 areundercut as at 15 to form wedge-shaped locking lugs 16, the undercut inclined surface of which is shown clearly as at 17 i The end cap 8 is arranged preferably in the form of a hollow hemisphere provided with a centrally arranged oil hole 18. The free end 19 of the cap is formed with inwardly and outwardly projecting locking lugs 20 and 21, the former being wedgeshaped to engage under the wedge-shaped locking lugs 17 of the hub portion 12, and the latter 21, being also wedge-shaped to engage under the wedge-shapedlocking slots I 11 of the hub portion 1. The outwardly extending lugs 21 are spaced apart sufficiently to permit them to enter between the spaces of the adjacent spokes 5 so that the end cap may be directly applied to the hub portion 12, the free end of this cap entering into the circumferential slot 9, the parts being arranged so that when the cap is given an angular movement, the locking lugs 20 and 21 will wedge under the locking slots 11 and 1'? respectively. A cotter fastening pin 22 is preferably used to hold these relatively movable parts from accidental rotation. Obviously the end cap is provided with any type of lugs 23 for a spanner wrench.

VJ hen the end cap has thus been assembled, lubricating oil may be introduced through the oil hole 18. It will thence flow into the inner chamber of the hollow cap and will be distributed through the oil channel 6 to the inner bore 7 of the bearing 2. By locating the circumferential slot 9 close to the channel 6, a facile flow of the lubricating oil through the channel 6 is assured, even though only a small amount of oil is left in the reservoir. I

A mine car wheel as above described is exceedingly rugged in construction. The construction and arrangement of the end cap in connection with the hub not only assures a thoroughly practical manner of lubricating the inner bearing of the hub, but also provides an efficient means for avoiding the clogging of the lubricating system by means of dirt or dust, and also prevents injury to the axle bearing. The cap is positively and firmly held in place, but may be quickly detached for repairs or replacement.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. A mine car wheel comprising a hub having circumferentially spaced wedgeshaped locking slots and spaced wedgeshaped locking lugs and an end cap for said hub provided with lugs adapted to interlock with said slots and wedge-shaped lugs adapted to engage with said locking lugs whereby to hold said cap detachably in position.

2. A mine car wheel comprising a hub, a rim and spaced spokes each of said spokes having a locking slot therein and a hub cap having circumferentially spaced lugs adapted to engage in said slots on angular movement of said cap on said .hub.

9 cam-shaped slots circuintlerentially spaced about the hub and a detachable end cap, said cap having a plurality of cam-shaped lugs cireumfereutially spaced thereabout whereby when said. cap is applied to said wheel and turned relatively thereto,-said lugs will lock in said slots, and means to hold said lugs and slots interengaged.

i In a mine car wheel, the combination of a hub, a rim, and interconnecting spokes, said hub and spokes at one side of said wheel having a concentric slot, said spokes having locking slots, said hub having circumferential lugs thereon, and an end cap adapted to seat in said circumferential slot, and provided with inner and outer lugs to engage behind the lugs and slots respec tively, of said hub whereby to permit the quick assembly of said cap on said mine wheel.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

FRANK W. HENRIKSON. v

o. A mine car wheel having a plurality of v 

